At Tadpole Farm Church of England Primary Academy, we want Young Carers to be recognised, feel supported and know they have someone to speak to if they need help.

Young carers look after someone that has a disability, long-term illness, mental health problem, or a problem with drugs or alcohol. This person may be a family member or a close friend. Young carers will take on different responsibilities, this could be nursing tasks, domestic chores, supervision, emotional support or communication support.

At Tadpole Farm Church of England Primary Academy we believe all young people should have the access to education; being a young carer may mean that they need additional support to ensure they are fully able to access this.

At Tadpole Farm CEPA we have a dedicated Young Carer Lead, this person is Hannah Milsom.

The Young Carer Lead is there to offer support to each young carer within Tadpole Farm CEPA.

The YC Lead will respect the privacy of the YC and will only share information with the people that need to know. We will always consult with the young carer before information is shared.

There will be flexibility given to young carers on work that is due, whether this work is within school or work to be completed at home.

We will provide one to one support and group support for young carers.

We will provide access to a telephone to enable the young carer to call home during break times if required.

We will run sessions on young carers in the PSHE for each year group, to help all children understand the issues, carers’ rights and the support available.

Our nominated Young Carer Lead Hannah Milsom will be available for time to talk sessions with the children if they have had a stressful day or night, or anytime they feel need to talk about any worries or concerns.

We are supported by Swindon Young Carers group, whose website you can access here.